Printing Apparatus First Print Time Reduction via Dynamic Job Scheduling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing printing control systems experience prolonged first print times due to time-consuming job scheduling processes, including registration and monitoring, which are not effectively addressed by prioritizing print data.

Innovation Solution

A printing apparatus and method that requests print data transmission from an external device before registering a print request, skipping the registration step when no other requests are present, to expedite the first print process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If job scheduling process is implemented to manage print requests, then printing control and job management capability is improved, but first print time increases due to additional registration and monitoring processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting control capabilityVSAvoidfirst print time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the printing process flow based on the current state. When no print requests are registered, the system skips the registration step and directly requests print data transmission. When print requests are registered, it follows the normal registration flow. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by optimizing the process for different scenarios.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies different processing quality to different scenarios. For first-time printing without queued jobs, it uses a simplified fast-track process. For subsequent printing with queued jobs, it uses the complete scheduling process. This local optimization allows the system to maintain full scheduling capability when needed while achieving fast printing when conditions permit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If complete job scheduling process is executed for every print request, then job management reliability is improved, but processing speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejob management reliabilityVSAvoidprint data transmission speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary determination of whether print requests are already registered before initiating the full scheduling process. This preliminary check allows the system to skip unnecessary registration steps when conditions are favorable, while still maintaining reliable job management when needed. The preliminary action is the key to resolving the contradiction between speed and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8072628B2Printing apparatus, network device, printing control method, and printing control program capable of transmitting print image data to printing hardware prior to registration of print job

Publication Date: 2011.12.06 CANON KK

AI summary

Disclosed is a printing apparatus capable of quickly performing the first printing while managing print requests. More specifically, a print request is received from an external device (S1301), and the received print request is registered in a register (S1304, S1308). Upon reception of the print request, the presence/absence of a print request which is registered in the register is determined (S1302). Print data is requested of the external device (S1306, S1307). The process order of print requests registered in the register is controlled (S1305). If it is determined in a determining step (S1302) that no print request is registered in the register, a print data request step (S1307) is performed before a registration step (S1308). If it is determined in the determining step (S1302) that a print request is registered in the register, the print data request step (S1306) is performed after the registration step (S1304).